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January 15, 2013

Too late for Lance: Cyclist Armstrong confesses to using PEDs during his career

Enid News and Eagle

ENID, Okla. — Lance Armstrong finally acknowledged what everyone knew.

Talking with Oprah Winfrey during taping for a television special, the disgraced cyclist admitted to doping during his career, using performance-enhancing drugs to win seven Tour de France titles.

Armstrong’s confession comes way too late to help his career and his legacy. His years of denials and attacks on anyone who challenged him or accused him took care of that.

U.S. Anti-Doping Agency last year issued a 1,000-page report that accused Armstrong of masterminding a long-running doping scheme with his cycling teammates. It included testimony from former friends and teammates. After that report came out, Armstrong was given a lifetime ban from cycling and stripped of his Tour de France titles.

Our country is a forgiving country. We collectively are willing to give people a second chance. However, as we said, Armstrong for years vehemently denied cheating and even went to court to fight accusers.

That, in our minds makes it too late for him to rehabilitate his name and his career.

However, we hope people can separate Armstrong from Livestrong, the charity he founded in 1997.

Livestrong has raised millions in the fight against cancer. Armstrong helped that effort with his own story of surviving testicular cancer and winning the Tour de France.

Armstrong separated himself from Livestrong after he was banned from cycling. We hope people can do the same.

Livestrong does a great job raising money and raising awareness for efforts in fighting cancer.

That’s too important of a job to let fall aside because of Armstrong’s troubles.

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